Thursday, May 24, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
USVI - St. Thomas & St. John May 2006
Before starting this blog, I visited many places so I will post about my past travels as well. Summer is almost here in Chicago so I thought I'd post about a warm yet pretty place in the Caribbean - US Virgin Islands, particularly St. Thomas & St. John. I have yet to visit St. Croix. The Virgin Islands was my honeymoon destination so keep in mind this was a trip of pleasure, but not a group trip. My ex-husband and I narrowed our choices to USVI or Aruba...I came across one review online when trying to decide between the two - Aruba is more of a desert island, St. Thomas/St. John are not...they are beautiful and that was the deciding factor.
USUALLY I know SOMEONE whether it's a co-worker, friend, friend of a friend, etc. who has visited a place I have never visited so I can ask questions, get tips, etc. As for this place...I was on my own so I went out and purchased a book "The Best of St. Thomas and St. John Virgin Islands" by Pamela Acheson & Richard B. Myers 2nd Edition. This was extremely helpful and full of great tips!!! The next decision we had to make was a hotel. We booked our air and hotel separately through a travel agent (Liberty Travel). I again was torn between booking the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Marriott Frenchman's Cove
These two resorts are on opposite sides of the Island and both offered an all-inclusive plan. First I'll explain why we did NOT go the all inclusive route on this trip. The year before we went to Playa del Carmen Mexico and went the all inclusive route and it worked great. As for this trip we didn't plan on spending most of our time at the resort because we had a day trip to St. John planned, we wanted to spend time shopping in town, we visited Paradise Point, etc. not to mention there were some restaurants we wanted to check out so rather than keep heading back to our hotel for meals or having to worry about that we did not go that route. If you plan on spending the majority of your time at the hotel....definitely go that route, it IS worth it.
Because of the location of the Marriott and the water shuttle to downtown Charlotte Amalie where the shopping is, and consulting with our travel agent, we decided on the Frenchman's Cove. Ironically at the time we were there, I was informed of someone working in a store I was in on St. John that the Wyndham was having all kinds of water problems that week so luck was on our side.
Since this trip was six years ago I'll do my best to highlight some of the most memorable spots...
On a good day you can see all the way to Puerto Rico. Unfortunately it was rainy and cloudy the day we visited but still a good place to check out
It's not what you think, it's actually a pretty good bar & grill with neat souvenir cups. We visited the Red Hook location which is near the ferry that takes you over to St. John. I still have my monkey glass from my "funky monkey" drink!!! I also have a story I still tell to this day about the Bananas Foster we ordered for dessert...our waiter couldn't get the 151 to catch fire when he went to serve it to us so he kept throwing more and more and more rum into it. Rum & Ice Cream...ick.
For sure check out this scenic island. We booked a day trip with our hotel ... it was SO worth it!!! We had a great tour guide and lunch was included. This is a small island - around 6 miles wide so it doesn't take long to cover everything. This is also where the night life is so plan ahead and plan your partying here as downtown Charlotte Amalie closes early for a reason...the reason being it is unsafe at night so check out what St. John has to offer at night and there is a ferry that runs between Red Hook in St. Thomas till late. This island also has great snorkeling.
I heard about this place on the travel channel many times. Not only is it beautiful but there is a path you follow in the shape of a triangle that you snorkel along. Snorkel gear was provided with the day trip we booked. This place is a must see! Again...BEAUTIFUL!!!
Cars drive on the left side of the road there and just being in a cab there is scary enough so my suggestion is to take cabs - however, it IS costly so it's something to plan for. I think we spent more on transportation than food/drinks while we were there as cab fares are at a set rate from different locations and there is a cost per/person. For example - $15 from the Marriott to Red Hook per person (this is just an example) I'm pretty sure the rates are available online.
Cruzan Rum is made in St. Croix but you can buy it in St. Thomas. Back in 2006 we bought a bottle of rum from KMart of all places for $3 so that is the place to buy your booze!!!
You do NOT need a passport to visit here...if you want to go to the British Virgin Islands, definitely bring it otherwise it's not necessary for the USVI.
One of these years I'll make it back to the USVI...it truly is a wonderful gorgeous place to visit!!!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Laissez les bons temps rouler ... in NOLA
The best time to go? Obviously April ... You'll find weather in the 70's and 80's as their "humid season" starts in May and runs through September-ish. If you are looking to avoid a crowd - avoid festival season (jazz fest, mardi gras, french quarter fest, etc.) One of my favorite sites to check is http://www.neworleansonline.com/
You can order a travel guide through that site with great info and coupons.
If you're planning a trip of leisure down to New Orleans, you're fine booking with Travelocity, Expedia, etc. Make sure though to book in the French Quarter and read up people's reviews through Yelp or Trip Advisor as some hotels near Bourbon Street might be noisy compared to others. You can also book in the business district/Downtown which offers chain hotels and definitely away from the chaos of Bourbon Street. I've stayed in both areas. We stayed at the Hotel St Marie last year and I do recommend that place - it's close to Bourbon Street but far enough away to avoid the noise.
When arriving in NOLA, I suggest taking a cab to your hotel as cab rates to and from the hotel and the airport are already set in advance. There is only one cab service there. You may also rent a limo or take a shuttle but keep in mind that the shuttle service might take a bit longer as they drop off people at other locations.
During the day there are different excursions you can book such as haunted tours, voodoo tours, cemetery tours (it is not recommended that you tour them on your own), french quarter tours, and more. You can also venture out to the Garden District for a different feel or do shopping on Magazine Street.
Walking the quarter is just fun to do as well - there are vendors around Jackson Square, or grab a coffee and Beignet from Cafe du Monde. There might be a line but it's sooooo worth it!!!!
It is not necessary to rent a car as parking at the hotels is very $$$ - cabs are available as well as streetcars.
As for nightlife there is the ever-so-popular Bourbon Street where you can walk up and down all night, collect beats, drink Hurricanes, and Hand Grenade drinks. There are many bars to check out live music (the bands play based on tips down there) or just bars to hang out, dance, or visit the Bourbon Cowboy to ride the mechanical bull. Other tasty alcoholic beverages include Abita Beer (brewed in Louisiana) I recommend the Strawberry one when it's in season or Purple Haze, there are also a number of daiquiri bars along the way. Some of my favorite spots are: Bourbon Heat, Cat's Meow, Fat Tuesday, Funky Pirate, Razoo, Howl at The Moon, or one of my most recent favorites - The Dungeon (you cannot bring in outside drinks down here...it might seems scary at first but it's a few levels down, it's dark, plays metal music and just a cool bar overall).
If this scene gets old, there is also Harrah's Casino or Frenchmen Street (a short cab ride away) where the scene is less crazy but full of great bars and restaurants and places like Snug Harbor for live music. It is definitely worth the trip at least one night during your visit. There are also two dinner riverboat cruises along the Mississippi. I went on the Creole Queen, and I would recommend doing this at least once while down there.
Last but not least...THE FOOD!!! For great gumbo try The Gumbo Shop, if you're looking for a good greasy hangover cheeseburger go to Yo Mamma's, the BEST Italian food is at Vincent's which is outside the French Quarter but definitely worth it. The Alpine is great to grab a Po Boy, or The Praline Connection is good if you're in the Frenchmen Street area. I'm from Chicago and this place is among the best Italian places I've ever eaten at. There is dining at all prices - something high end which is worth checking out is Emeril's "NOLA Restaurant" but again, check out the websites and reviews on Yelp...there are few places that disappoint down there.
On a different note...A majority of my graduate work was done studying New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina. It is now 2012, and almost 7 years later and there is still much to be done down there. Many hotels offer significant discounts if you are down there for services work. If you're looking to help out while visiting down there, check out Habitat for Humanity or St Bernard Project
I know I'm excluding many more great finds in this wonderful city so be sure to check out the website I included above - there is something for everyone down in the Big Easy!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Viva Las Vegas
April 20-23 2012
I just returned from my 6th trip to Las Vegas on April 23rd. I'm often asked "Don't you run out of things to do there?" My answer is simple..."No". I always find a new place to eat, or a new casino to visit or a new activity to partake in. This time I stayed at Treasure Island. I was against paying a resort fee as many of these hotels on the strip charge a silly resort fee upon check in for things you may or may not use during your visit. The resort fee was minimal along with the great deal we got so I didn't mind doing it this one time. I was also paying for location - staying mid strip is ideal unless it's your first or second time visiting. I knew we had no reason to walk down to MGM Grand, or Luxor so it was all about location this time. I did like staying at TI - and the resort fee included things like internet, access to print out my return flight boarding pass, and we also received a few coupons that we used.
As for new restaurants...you can read more about my experiences on my Yelp page at: janinek77.yelp.com
Dinner on our first night we stopped at KGB Burger Bar at Harrah's - Delicious! I highly recommend this place.
If you're looking for decent eats and fabulous desserts - visit Serendipity 3 outside Caesar's Palace or The Sugar Factory outside Paris. We opted for appetizers and dessert at both. Yum!
My favorite Mexican place is at the Hard Rock Hotel ... it's called "Pink Taco" There is also one in LA however I much prefer this location and I've been there the last 3 visits to Las Vegas. If you're off the strip in that vicinity there is the new KISS Monster Mini Golf across the street. It's indoor and pretty cool if you're into the band or just looking for something different to do.
When I visited Las Vegas last year I saw Le Reve at Wynn and it was hands down...AMAZING!!! I would go see that again but I haven't been to too many shows there so I opted for "Beatles Love" at Mirage...it would be unfair to compare the two so I'm not, they are entirely different and Beatles/Love is a Cirque du Soleil show. I recommend both. I also recommend purchasing tickets in advance because you can find deals online at www.lasvegas.com or www.travelzoo.com (I've used both). If you really don't have and agenda and plan on winging it you can stop by any of the "Tickets The Same Day" booths scattered among the strip ... also called "Half Price Tickets" I believe. Keep in mind they do not have tickets for ALL shows and they change daily so what might be available for tonight might not be for tomorrow. When I visited back in 2006 I insisted on purchasing tickets to Mystere at TI and my friend insisted it would be ok to just walk up to the box office a few hours before the show and we were surely mistaken. We were told a line forms an hour before the show at will call and tickets are not guaranteed. Needless to say we didn't want to stand in line forever on vacation so to this day I never did see that show. I've also seen Divas in Imperial Palace, and Chippendales at Rio (hey...it was a girls trip!)
You can now zipline on Freemont Street...that was on our agenda but we got there too late but what we saw looked like a blast. I always feel that I don't NEED to visit Old Las Vegas or Downtown Las Vegas every time but somehow a night off the main strip isn't so bad...and fun.
Some Vegas tips to keep in mind...
- Cabs are timed, not by mile...you can sit at a red light and get charged $1.25
- There are coupon books everywhere...grab them, it doesn't hurt to save a buck or two on vacation (more $$$ for drinks and gambling that way!)
- The monorail runs on one side of the strip - one way is $5 but you can buy a 24 hour pass for $12
- Definitely check out the places off the strip like Rio, Palms, or even Ellis Island - a brewery/casino. They are a short walk or cab ride away. Paris has a shuttle that runs frequently from the Paris/Ballys area to Rio
- Although I do not recommend cruising the strip at night or driving from casino to casino, but sometimes renting a car is ideal if you'd like to check out the outlet malls, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, or eat at In N Out Burger. We rented a car last year...I don't regret doing it because we could visit the places off the beaten path on our own.
- The weekends are ALWAYS busy...people drive in from the LA area on the weekends, people just go there for the weekends...if you want less of a crowd, avoid weekends and avoid holiday weekends.
- YES it gets cold there in the winter. I visited in early December of 2009 and it was in the 40s at night, 50s during the day.
- I'm not at all into clubbing but I did check out a few...plan on standing unless you opt for bottle service at the clubs. Many of the clubs have a "free cover" or "skip the line" thing if you sign up in advance on their website. Do NOT talk to the people on the strip handing out coupons and wristbands...they will give you a talk, tell you how much you're saving THEN ask you for a tip. Hand those passes back, they are unnecessary.
- I've stayed at the Tropicana my first trip out there, years later at the Stratosphere (the trip was only $300 for air & hotel, I couldn't pass it up!), off the strip at a timeshare, New York New York, Ballys, & TI. Keep in mind...you pretty much only sleep in your hotel room. If you want to travel on a budget, there are reasonable places to stay.
- There are plenty of "Free" things to explore, Sirens of TI, volcano at Mirage, Bellagio Fountains just to name a few...you can find more on www.lasvegas.com
- You will be doing a ton of walking here so wear good shoes!!! The strip isn't one long walking strip, you'll be going up and down stairs, escalators, elevators, in and out of hotels, etc.
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